188 Bird-Nesting 



north. The egg in size measures 1.10x1.00, and the colour is 

 light pea-green, closely spotted with brown in small specks 

 about the size of a pin-head." 



The above is the only authentic egg known to be in collec- 

 tions besides the two specimens in my possession. The British 

 museum in London does not possess a specimen of this bird's 

 egg, and I have been informed that none of the extensive 

 private collections in Great Britain contain an authentic egg of 

 the knot. I therefore have pleasure in describing the two 

 eggs before me. 



For some years my Iceland collectors have been trying to 

 obtain eggs of this bird for me. The birds are well known in 

 Iceland, but it was not until the summer of 1889 that one of 

 my collectors succeeded in finding a nest and two eggs of this 

 bird. He was so anxious to secure these two specimens that 

 he took them before the full complement of four eggs had been 

 laid in the nest. The eggs were found at Raedodavmsi. Ice- 

 land, June 20th, 1889. The nest was a depression in the 

 ground, lined with bits of drift weed. The eggs are so unlike 

 those of any other sandpiper that it is impossible to confound 

 them with any other species. The ground colour is pale pea 

 green, and they are finely speckled with ashy brown. On one 

 of the eggs the markings are very faint, but the other speci- 

 men is finely speckled all ovec the egg. (See Fig. 1 and .?, 

 Plate 3.) I believe this is the first time the egg of the knot 

 has been figured. 



The knot is a handsome bird, and is the largest of the North- 

 American sandpipers. It is found on the shores of Lake 

 Ontario in the fall of the year, and I have seen specimens that 

 were shot on Toronto Island. It is a regular winter visitor to 

 the British Islands, but in the spring it returns to the islands 

 of the polar seas to breed. 



Taking a final look at Long Lake, I returned to the cabin> 

 and packing my specimens I paid my board bill, $1.50, and left 

 the cabin for the station. 



While waiting on the platform for the 10.30 morning train 

 for Winnipeg, a man came along who informed me that he had 



